Furnace for recovering soda



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. BULLARD.

PURNAGE FOR REGOVERING SODA.

No. 391,735. Patented 0ct.23,1888.

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N. PETERS, Pholwliwgrnphur. Walhinginrn D-Q (NO Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet2.

J. H. BULLARD.

FURNAGE FOR RBGOVERING SODA.

Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

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JAMES H. BULLARD, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FURNCE FOR RECVRING SOD/3i.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391.735, dated Got-ober23, 1888.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Bc it known that l, .Latins H. BULLARD, a citizen of the 'United States,residing` at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Furnaces forReclaiming Caustic Soda, of which the following is a specification.

As well known in various arts quantities of caustic soda areemployed--as, for instance, in the digestion and disintegration of woodand other ber in the production of pulp`- the said caustic soda, afterhaving accomplished the desired result, still retaining its strength ina large degree, and which, when drawn oft from the more or lessdisintegrated fiber, is intermixed with considerable proportions cfforeign matter that have been extracted from the liber; and for theexpulsion of the said foreign properties combined with the caustic soda,as heretofore practiced, suitable quantities thereof have been placedwithin a tubular rotatable furnace, at the one open end of which theopen end of a separable and removable re-box communicates the productsof combustion of the coal or wood that is burned therein passing fromsaid firebox to and through said rotatable furnace, securing a re tiningof the caustic soda by incineration.

The object of the present invention is to provide at the open end of therotating reclaiming-furnace an apparatus for the burning ofhydrocarbons, which will enable a dispensation of the before-mentionedremovable fireboX, and which will be of greater efficiency, securingmore intense heat, and a most effective and direct disposition of samewithin thc furnace for its greatest possible incinerative action; andthe invention consists in the construction and combination of variousparts of the apparatus, all substantially as will hereinafter more fullyappear, and be set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which similarcharacters of refv erence indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

f Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section through theapparatus. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a partialhorizontal section on line x x, Fig. 2.

ln the drawings, A represents the incinerating-furnace, which is ofcylindrical form, suitably supported for rotation, which is secured bythe engagement with its attached circular rack a of a pinion, b, on theworin-driven shaft d, the said cylindrical furnace being provided on itsperiphery with the circular rails or tracks f, which bear on and areguided and supported by the rollers g. The said cylindrical furnace hasopenings 7L 7tat its ends, the former being in communication with a flueor opening, j, ofa chamber, B, having a door, Z, and a discharge flue orchimney, m, said chamber otherwise being closed.

D represents a circular or disk wall of a size to cover the end opening,7c, of the cylindrical furnace A, mounted on trucks or rollers p, whichroll on suitable tracks or ways, q, in lines at right angles to the endof the said furnace A, whereby the said end wall, D, may be moved towardand away from the open end thereof.

Supported on brackets r, or otherwise, ofthe outer side of said movablewall D is a burnertank, E, which consists cfa hollow cylinder havingconnected therewith one or more hydrocarbon-burners, t, one end of whichextend into openings s through the said wall, :and the opposite endthereof communicates with an air-space and with hydrocarbon contained insaid tanks in the manner substantially as shown and described in myapplication for a patent filed December l, 1887, Serial No. 256, 588,and in Letters Patent granted to me dated July 5, 1887, No. 865,789. Aregulated and constant supply of hydrocarbon is furnished to saidburner-tank, whereby it is kept partially filled while the said burneris in operation through a pipe from a suitable oil-supply.

ln practice oil is pumped from a suitable supply through a pipe, 11,int-o a drum or tank, as shown at 10, and with said oil-pipe 11, at aportion thereof below the drum 10, a pipe, 13, communicates, extendingtherefrom to a governor, 14, and from said governor, throughpipe-connections 15, communication is had to and with the saidburner-tank E, a suitable intermediate portion of said connection, asindicated at 16, being iiexible. Airin certain quantities and undersuitable pressure is also forced from and by a suitable air-pu mp orcompressor through a pipe, 20, into the said tank 10, from and out ofwhich tank a pipe,

21, extends to and connects with the upper side of the burner-tank E,and extending from an intermediate portion of said pipe 2l there is apipe-connection, 22, leading to the governor 14. Shut-off cocks 23 and24 are provided in the oil and air-pipe connections in advance of theburner-tank E.

Under the arrangement of the oil and air pipe connections and of thedrum 10 and governor 14, as indicated, an equilibrium of the oil and airpressure is secured in the burner tank E, whereby the height of the oiltherein may be uniformly maintained at a suitable height.

As shown in the present instance, three of the burners t are employed,each extending substantially horizontally through the apertures s; butthe series are arranged in an oblique plane, as indicated by theline zrx; or, in other words, one burner at the left of the intermediate onebeing lower and the other burner at the right thereof being higher thansuch intermediate burner, and said horizontally-arranged burners t, asto their length, are preferably arranged or directed in angular lines toone side of the rotating furnace A, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By thisarrangement the products of combustion of the hydrocarbon from theburnerst are directed in independent lines to adjacent points at oneside of the eenter of rotation of the furnace A coincident with itsinner periphery, at which the greater body of the contained mass ofcaustic soda, &c., is disposed under the rotation of said furnace,insuring the quickest possible consumption of the foreign elementstherein, leaving the practically pure and refined caustic soda in thefurnace to be discharged or removed therefrom in any desirable manner.

-In the process of reclaiming the caustic soda from theliquid andimpurities with which the same is in suspension when withdrawn from thefiber digester or disintegrator, it is subjected to an evaporating ordistilling treatment by the employment of steam in connection therewith,whereby it is deprived in a large degree of its watery elements andrendered into a molasses-like consistency. The said partially-evaporatedcaustic-soda solution is then directed through a suitableconduit intothe chamber B in the rear of the rotating furnace through the door Zofsaid chamber. Said solution ows slowly and continuously, and enters theend h of the rotatable furnace A during its rotation, and,ad hering tothe inner wall thereof, is brought under the action of the products ofcombustion of the hydrocarbon,directed as described, whereby allremaining liquid in the mass is quickly evaporated therefrom and allgums and woody substances contained therein are consumed. The calcinedcaustic soda-ash, purified, as described, by the action of the heat inthe furnace, drops from the walls thereof to its lowest side and passesover the forward lip, c, and drops thence below vthe furnace, therebeing a passage constantly open between the outer edge of said lip c andthe adjoining inner side of the movable wall D to permit the calcinedsoda to drop from the furnace, as set forth. As shown in Fig. 1, theflange of said movable wall D, below said lip v, is removed from the endof the furnace to permit the soda to drop from the latter, as described.

The intensity and volume of the heat from the burners t ordinarily is soactive and con tinued that it still retains itself in a high de grec,after having passed through the rear opening, h, of the furnace, and inthe present apparatus this surplus heat is utilized by being directedabout and through the fines of a boiler, AGr, which is located in thechamber B between the openingj and the chimney-opening m thereof,whereby sufficient steam is generated to effect the evaporating portionof the hereinbefore-mentioned process.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In an apparatus for recoveringcaustic soda, the combination, with a rotatable cylindrical furnacehaving at its rear end an opening for the introduction of a continuoussupply of caustic soda and for the exit of products of combustion, of awall arranged across the front end of said furnace, between which andthe adjoining end thereof is a passage for the escape of soda, said wallbeing mounted on suitable ways, whereby it is moved toward and from theend of the furnace and provided with one or more apertures and one ormore hydrocarbon-burners disposed opposite said apertures, substantiallyas set forth.

2. The combination, with a rotatable cylindrical furnace having aheat-inlet opening at one end and an outlet-flue, of a wall disposedacross said heat-inlet opening mounted on suitable guides or ways,whereby it may be moved toward and away from said opening and providedwith two or more apertures, s, and the tank E, and two or more burners,t, each arranged at an angle to the inner side wall of the saidrotatable furnace, and suitable conduits for conveying oil and air tosaid burner-tank, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with a rotatable cylindrical furnace having aheat-inlet opening at one end and an outlet-flue, of a wall disposedacross said heat-inlet opening mounted on suitable guides or ways,whereby it may be moved toward and away from said opening, and providedwith two or more apertures, s, and the tank E, and two or more burners,t, arranged at varying heights on said wall, and each arranged at anangle to the inner side wall of the said rotatable furnace, and suitableconduits for conveying oil and air to said burner-tank, substantially asand for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with a rotatable cylindrical furnace, A, having heatinlet and outlet openings 7c and h through its opposite ends, of

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a wall disposed at right angles to said heatinlet opening mounted onsuitable guides or Ways, whereby it may be moved toward and away fromsaid heat-inlet opening 7c, and provided with one or more apertures, s,the tank E, one or more burners, t, and suitable conduits for conveyingoil and air to said burnertank, and a chamber, B, having a flue,j, incommunication with the furnace outlet-opening h, and a chimney, m, and aboiler located in said chamber B, between said due j and said chimney,substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In an apparatus for recovering caustic soda, the combination, withthe rotatable cylindrical furnace A, having the end openings, k 71, of awall disposed across said opening k, mounted on suitable guides or ways,whereby it may be moved toward and away from said opening and providedwith a series of suitably-disposed apertures, s s, and the tank E, and aseries of burners, t t, arranged at varying heights on said wall, andcach arranged at an angle to the inner side wall of the said rotatablefurnace, a tank or drum, 10, and a governor, 14, apipe, 11, leading froma pump or pressure supply to said drum 10, having the branch 13,extending therefrom to said governor, and the pipe-connection 15,extending from an air-pump or pressure-supply to said drum l0, a pipe,21, extending therefrom to said burner-tank E, having intermediate ofits length a branch pipe, 22,extending therefrom to said governor, saidoil and air conduitpipes having the shut-off cocks 23 and 24 in advanceof said burner-tank, the chamber B,

having a iiue, j, in communication with said

